[Book spoilers]: GoT producer expects at least 7 seasons

[JamesD2020]

I think GOT will continue being a powerhouse for HBO. True Blood has bad acting and terrible originality where GOT has a vivid source material and interesting characters, some of which we have grown dearly attached to. The amount of money they can get away with this is absurd. No way they cancel this before 7 seasons, im thinking 10 at the minimum.

[Chickren]

Barring a drastic ratings drop next season (unlikely), GoT is virtually guaranteed 6 seasons, based on the idea the S5 premiere will have strong enough ratings to bring a S6 order announcement immediately. 7 seasons is a fairly safe bet. 8 is possible, and as far as it's going to go according to virtually everyone working on the show who's ever commented.

Given that this is a book series adaptation with a beginning to end story arc, it would be wise for the producers to pick a number of seasons (7 or 8) and aim for it so that the story remains cohesive. This comment feels right in line with that sort of thinking.

They're going full steam ahead with GoT without regard to book publication schedules. It's probably time we all accustom ourselves to that fact.

[SpaceChampion]

It could be that the producer merely meant 7 seasons to cover the existing 5 books. The last two books don't exist yet; once they do, they'll officially start to consider doing seasons 8 and 9, maybe 10.

[Ser Luke.]

Season 1: A Game of Thrones

Season 2: A Clash of Kings

Season 3: A Storm of Swords/A Dance with Dragons

Season 4: A Storm of Swords/A Feast for Crows/A Dance with Dragons

Season 5: A Feast for Crows/A Dance with Dragons

Season 6: A Dance with Dragons/The Winds of Winter

Season 7: The Winds of Winter

Season 8: A Dream of Spring

This is how it's gonna play out, nearly positive. 8 seasons is perfect, 9 would drag it out too much, and 7 wouldn't be enough

[DragonsHungry]

Rome was a joint production of HBO, RAI and BBC. HBO wanted to continue the series but the BBC did not due to the cost. HBO is doing GOT on its own and seems to have worked out a viable funding model. The US norm is to do seven series if at all possible as that is considered the minimum for perpetual syndication.

I think that they are going to have to go for more though because GRRM is not delivering books fast enough. As far as we know book 6 is at best half done and even with the number of script writers and other support, the HBO series has to take a lot of his time as well. So if they continue at one book per season they might have book 6 ready in time but certainly not book 7.

Extending the series to 10 seasons would give GRRM at least a chance of having Book 7 ready for concurrent release with the final series.

I don't see the characters aging being a problem. The children mostly have bit parts in any case. GMMR seems to like killing them off horribly. The only exception is Aryn who is a faceless man and the life she is leading is the sort of life you would expect to make her age rather fast. So she might end up having to play a 16/17 year old Arya at 24. that is a stretch but hardly a disaster.

The X files was a very different situation. The episodes were independent without a real plot arc binding them together. There were only two lead characters and one of them left the series. By season 4 I lost interest because the only thing I was interested in was the mythology episodes and the rest had become filler. Also the obnoxious Rupert Moloch anti-government paranoia peddling was grating.

The books not being done are completely irrelevant to HBO. They will not stop, extend, pause likely if it deviates from the business model of 7-8 seasons. They will keep going.

It is up to GRRM to get the books done before WoW and ADOS stuff appear on TV, since he is not worried about it, I am not worried about either. I'll read them when they come out, but will keep watching the show.

[Faint]

I'm starting to wonder whether they will even bother with the fake Aegon plotline. They have already spoken of the fact that they don't want to expand the cast more than it is now.

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

I'm starting to wonder whether they will even bother with the fake Aegon plotline. They have already spoken of the fact that they don't want to expand the cast more than it is now.

Well to be fair, the cast shrinks ALMOST as much as it grows. ALMOST

[Draco_Dracul]

I agree with the 8 season maximum as any more would likely be padding just so that they're aren't threads with a TV Spoiler tag in the General ASoIaF forum. If they still feel the franchise is viable for TV past that point they can always do either a series of Dunk and Egg TV movies (I would pay good money just to see the Trial by Seven brought to the screen), or a Robert's Rebellion Mini series (or both).

[Groney]

Am I the only one who thinks the Winds of Winter will be two seasons? Martin has stated that it will be a massive book with two major battles. I'm predicting that the show will be 9 seasons :D

Season 5 - Feast + Dance part 1

Season 6 - Feast + Dance part 2

Season 7 - Winds part 1

Season 8 - Winds part 2

Season 9 - Dream

[Jorah the Explorer]

Season 5 - Feast + Dance part 1

Season 6 - Feast + Dance part 2

The show would get cancelled if this happens. It's looking like they'll end Season 5 with the initial battles in Winds of Winter. Daenerys will have a lot of her aDwD stuff done in Season 4, even.

[DragonsHungry]

The show would get cancelled if this happens. It's looking like they'll end Season 5 with the initial battles in Winds of Winter. Daenerys will have a lot of her aDwD stuff done in Season 4, even.

That is what I am thinking. Can you imagine the TV Viewers reaction? Dany would become the most hated character in the TV show, viewers will complain they are stretching this out. She is the "face of the franchise", marketing posters, image with the dragons, etc.

The Meereenese Knot will get treated like the Gordian Knot and cut. I agree, she will go to Westeros in Season 5.

[Jorah the Explorer]

I feel bad for Martin in that he is a bit deluded about it. In the Emmy Panel, he mentions to justify his own procrastination that he thinks Feast and Dance will take up "two seasons, maybe three". You feel like tapping him on the shoulder, clenching your teeth sympathetically, and saying, "y'know George, about that.." This is probably exactly what his editor goes through, and was unable to do their job properly.

[PhoenixFlame]

I feel bad for Martin in that he is a bit deluded about it. In the Emmy Panel, he mentions to justify his own procrastination that he thinks Feast and Dance will take up "two seasons, maybe three". You feel like tapping him on the shoulder, clenching your teeth sympathetically, and saying, "y'know George, about that.." This is probably exactly what his editor goes through, and was unable to do their job properly.

Haha, YES, QFT! I heard him say that and was thinking "unless the Travel Channel becomes a massive stakeholder, no wai."

No one is going to effin' care about Tyrion stuck on a boat for 6 episodes with a pig and a dog and babbling about whores.

[Faint]

I feel bad for Martin in that he is a bit deluded about it. In the Emmy Panel, he mentions to justify his own procrastination that he thinks Feast and Dance will take up "two seasons, maybe three". You feel like tapping him on the shoulder, clenching your teeth sympathetically, and saying, "y'know George, about that.." This is probably exactly what his editor goes through, and was unable to do their job properly.

You know, in my mind, the only real issue I have with this particular issue is that it creates an expectation in some readers that the series will actually be much longer than plausible and that it is realistic that the final books will be published before the television series is finished. None of that is at all likely to be true but because the author has perhaps inadvertently fed this possibility, you have a whole legion of readers turning apocalyptic with every major change the series takes from the source material in order to expedite the plot and every new detail which seemingly spoils a future storyline. Book readers are going to have to start adjusting their expectations, starting with accepting the reality that we will see the end of the series before we read about it.

[hallam]

I feel bad for Martin in that he is a bit deluded about it. In the Emmy Panel, he mentions to justify his own procrastination that he thinks Feast and Dance will take up "two seasons, maybe three". You feel like tapping him on the shoulder, clenching your teeth sympathetically, and saying, "y'know George, about that.." This is probably exactly what his editor goes through, and was unable to do their job properly.

GMMR needs a more forceful editor. This is known.

The editor clenched and unclenched his fist around his editing pen wondering if he would ever get to use it in battle.

[PhoenixFlame]

Heh, and then arguments will change to "But in the SHOOOOOOW...."

If they're putting characters on the chopping block, my vote goes for Penny. And her annoying pig. Crunch can be Tyrion's morality pet.

[raj34]

Imagine if HBO was somehow able to discourage/monetize just a small percentage of all the pirate downloads? Eight seasons would be a slamdunk in that case.

When the series was first announced, my guess was four seasons would have been a great accomplishment considering the genre, cost, and ridicuoulous complexity of bringing ASOIAF to life. Now that the show is a bonafide cultural phenomenon, I think it's a solid 50/50 chance that they actually finish the story (that is if D&D don't get burned out).

[shk12344]

They key is going to be ratings for season 5. If the ratings for season 5 stays strong, then the show will continue to season 8 even if ratings falter. But if the ratings for season 5 falters then season 7 would probably be the last or even worse it could end with season 6 if the ratings are really bad.

[The_Iron_Captain]

Isn't TWOW supposed to be like 1500 pages? I would imagine that would take AT LEAST a season and a half...

[MarieAntoinette]

I feel bad for Martin in that he is a bit deluded about it. In the Emmy Panel, he mentions to justify his own procrastination that he thinks Feast and Dance will take up "two seasons, maybe three". You feel like tapping him on the shoulder, clenching your teeth sympathetically, and saying, "y'know George, about that.." This is probably exactly what his editor goes through, and was unable to do their job properly.

2 to 3 seasons just with material from Feast and Dance would be the death of this show. I don't think the majority of the viewers would stay interested, they would move on to other shows.